Chapter 72

Madam Lu knew that Xu’s Food Mansion’s breakfast and dinner always had queues, so she and Zhen Wu went early. Despite arriving early, there were already quite a few diners. Fortunately, they found a spot by the window. The space was small, and the tables were close together. Madam Lu, who had grown up in a noble family with the best of everything, felt a bit uncomfortable.

Zhen Wu couldn’t help but ask, “If you’re uncomfortable, should we find another restaurant?”

Madam Lu shook her head, curious about Young Lady Xu’s cooking. Could it be better than the famous Zui Xian Restaurant in Raozhou City? Otherwise, why would people queue up?

When Zhen Wu returned to Raozhou City, he mentioned that Xu’s Food Mansion’s breakfast was incredibly fragrant and more enticing than any breakfast he had encountered in his travels.

Madam Yuan, who was serving the diners, recognized Madam Lu and immediately approached with a smile. “Madam, what would you like to eat? We have a variety of dishes at Xu’s Food Mansion.”

Madam Lu asked, “What’s your specialty?”

Madam Yuan quickly replied, “We have many signature dishes, such as Fatty Intestine Fish, Charcoal-Grilled Lamb Chops, Stir-Fried Eel, Stir-Fried Shrimp, and Crab Roe Sauce. But since it’s cold, our boss has introduced a new dish: Copper Pot Lamb Hotpot. It’s a must-try at every table. The copper pot is filled with our boss’s clear broth, lamb tail fat, lamb meat, lamb leg meat, lamb shoulder, and other vegetables. Would you like to try it?”

Madam Lu was intrigued. It sounded similar to the hotpot at Zui Xian Restaurant. She said, “Let’s have a Copper Pot Hotpot and a portion of each dish you mentioned, along with some vegetables.”

“Alright, Madam, please wait a moment.” Madam Yuan went to the kitchen to inform Xu Qinyu, who decided to waive Madam Lu’s bill. She quickly filled the copper pot with burning charcoal, poured in the clear broth, and had Madam Yuan bring it out, along with the other dishes.

Xu Qinyu knew that Madam Lu was dining with Zhen Wu, who had come the day before.

Madam Lu had only introduced Zhen Wu as the leader of the trade caravan, but Xu Qinyu could tell their relationship was special.

Seeing that Zhen Wu had a hearty appetite, Xu Qinyu served two portions each of lamb tail fat, lamb meat, lamb leg meat, and lamb shoulder, along with one portion of vegetables and a large serving of handmade wide noodles.

Each portion of lamb leg meat included both the front and hind legs, offering different flavors.

When the pot and ingredients were brought out, Madam Lu, being a connoisseur, could tell the ingredients were fresh.

However, the broth in the pot was so clear it looked like water. Could the food cooked in it be tasty?

The pot was made with just water, a few scallions, ginger slices, and Xu Qinyu’s mushroom powder, giving it a slight umami flavor. There was no other seasoning, not even salt, because the sesame sauce provided the perfect flavor balance. The meat dipped in the sesame sauce was just right in terms of saltiness, allowing the freshness and original taste of the meat to shine through, along with the aroma of the sesame sauce. If salt were added to the broth, the meat dipped in the sesame sauce would become too salty.

Madam Yuan knew it was their first time eating lamb hotpot, so she carefully explained how to cook it. The sesame sauce was prepared by the boss, and each bowl cost five wen per person.

Zhen Wu listened carefully and started by cooking the lamb tail fat.

After cooking it, he placed it in Madam Lu’s bowl. Madam Lu was a bit hesitant, thinking the white fat would be greasy and gamey. But once cooked, it emitted a rich aroma. She couldn’t resist dipping it in the sesame sauce, accidentally dipping too much, causing some sauce to drip. When she tasted it, it was indeed oily but also incredibly fragrant. The combination of the lamb tail fat and the sesame sauce created an almost overwhelming flavor. She had to admit that the lamb tail fat, which she initially disliked, was quite enjoyable.

Next was the lamb meat, which was tender and juicy. The lamb leg meat was tender and juicy, while the lamb shoulder had a perfect balance of fat and lean meat, each bite offering a different taste.

For a while, Madam Lu was too focused on eating to talk to Zhen Wu, quietly enjoying the lamb hotpot.

Zhen Wu cooked the meat for her and served it so she didn’t have to worry about anything. While she ate, he would also eat some himself. It was the first time he had seen Madam Lu eat so seriously. After tasting it, he understood why. It was indeed delicious, the best food he had ever tasted in his travels. No wonder people queued up every day to eat at this small restaurant.

After eating, Madam Lu felt quite full.

To maintain her figure, she hadn’t eaten so much at dinner for a long time, but the taste was so wonderful that she decided to indulge for a few days and eat at Xu’s Food Mansion every day. After all, once she returned to Raozhou City, she wouldn’t be able to enjoy such delicious food, and other foods might seem tasteless in comparison.

When it was time to pay, Madam Lu learned that Young Lady Xu didn’t charge her. She didn’t insist and left after thanking Madam Wen.

After they left, Madam Yuan whispered to Madam Wen, “That lady is very fortunate.” She could tell that the man with Madam Lu was likely her husband. It was the first time she had seen a man take such good care of his wife in public. Madam Lu didn’t cook any meat herself during the entire meal.

Madam Wen smiled, indeed feeling envious.

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The next day, Madam Lu and Zhen Wu came early to Xu’s Food Mansion for breakfast.

Once again, Madam Lu was amazed by Xu’s Food Mansion’s breakfast. Everything was delicious, and her favorites were the red sugar glutinous rice porridge and custard buns.

This time, she truly wished Young Lady Xu’s restaurant was in Raozhou City. No matter how small or crowded, she would be willing to eat there.

After breakfast, Madam Lu and Zhen Wu walked around the town.

Yuanbao Town was much smaller than Raozhou City, and there were no large workshops. They could only look for land to build a winery.

For the next few days, they continued to search for workshops or suitable land in the town and nearby villages. During these days, they ate breakfast and dinner at Xu’s Food Mansion.

After eating lamb hotpot for three consecutive days, Madam Lu decided to try other signature dishes at the restaurant. To her surprise, the signature dishes were just as good as the lamb hotpot.

Madam Lu was impressed and told Zhen Wu, “Young Lady Xu once told me that only she could make wine with such a unique flavor. I didn’t believe it then, but now I do. With her cooking skills, it’s no wonder her wine is so good.”

Even the simplest dish, like fried tofu, was satisfying and delicious. She even wondered how tofu could taste so good.

Zhen Wu agreed.

They continued to explore the area and decided to buy about ten acres of land in Dagu Village to build the winery.

Dagu Village was the closest to Yuanbao Town, just a short carriage ride north. The village had many residents and plenty of farmland. There was a large piece of vacant land at the end of the village, which Madam Lu liked. It would also be convenient to pick grapes from the nearby mountains. She asked Young Lady Xu if other fruits and grapes grown elsewhere could be used to make wine.

The grapes imported from other countries were green grapes, which were sweet with a slight tartness when ripe, and had a strong grape flavor.

Xu Qinyu said they could be used and mentioned that wine made from these green grapes had a light green color and was very beautiful. The taste was even better than wine made from wild grapes.

Madam Lu regretted that no green grapes were available locally. Transporting them from other places would be too costly and difficult to preserve, as it would take seven or eight days to reach the southwest, and the grapes would spoil.

The lack of large-scale grape cultivation in the southwest was due to the high cost and difficulty of selling them. Ordinary people couldn’t afford to eat them, and even wealthy families couldn’t consume large quantities.

Madam Lu suggested starting with a small amount of grape cultivation. If people were willing, they could plant grapes in small plots or even in their yards, without affecting their staple crops.

Green grapes could bear fruit in the second or third year, but most people wouldn’t risk large-scale planting. They needed to grow staple crops to feed themselves, and grapes had only been introduced a few years ago. Even in other places, people were hesitant to plant large quantities.

So, they could start with a small amount. If people were unwilling to plant grapes in their fields, they could plant them in their yards.

The southwest had favorable conditions for growing fruits, with plenty of sunlight and rain, making the fruits sweeter. It was suitable for grape cultivation.

Madam Lu suggested that Young Lady Xu talk to her family and friends about planting grapes. She would also talk to her acquaintances when she returned. Even if they only made a small amount of wine, it was worth trying. Her trade caravan mainly transported goods for others, like a shipping company. Madam Lu wanted to establish a stable business, and if the wine business could grow, they might focus solely on it.

So, Madam Lu hoped the southwest could gradually try planting grapes. Of course, it wouldn’t happen overnight, but in a few years, it might be possible.

Xu Qinyu had an idea and thought she could discuss it with Magistrate Yang. After planting the grapes, she and Madam Lu would be willing to purchase them to make wine.

Growing grapes is more profitable than growing grain, and the villagers wouldn’t need to use all their land for it. A typical household has two or three acres of land, and just a small portion would be enough. Grapes could also be planted in front or backyards, as most village houses have some empty space. Even in town, people have small yards where a few grapevines could be planted, yielding a significant harvest compared to grain. This initiative could help everyone prosper together, boosting the local economy without using much farmland. They could start small and gradually expand.

Xu Qinyu shared her idea with Madam Lu, who agreed it was feasible.

However, growing grapes from seeds is more troublesome. Yuanbao Town doesn’t have grape cuttings, so they would need to buy them from elsewhere. Having a trade caravan, Madam Lu planned to send someone to buy grape cuttings and see who would be willing to try planting them.

Madam Lu then informed Zhen Wu, who arranged for someone to handle it. The two of them stayed in Yuanbao Town and bought a house, as staying in an inn was inconvenient. Madam Lu wanted to visit often to enjoy Young Lady Xu’s meals, so having a house was more convenient.

There were many houses for sale in Yuanbao Town. Madam Lu wanted to live close to Xu Qinyu, so she bought a two-entry house in Laixi Alley, near Osmanthus Alley, which was enough for her and Zhen Wu.

After buying the house, Madam Lu didn’t want to return to Raozhou City immediately. She wrote a letter asking her two usual maidservants to come to Yuanbao Town, planning to stay there for a while since Zhen Wu would be busy for a long time.

After choosing the location for the winery, Zhen Wu took care of the rest. He bought the land and started hiring people to build the winery. He hired many craftsmen, offering good wages of fifty wen per day, which amounted to one and a half taels of silver per month. With enough people, the winery could be built in one or two months. Building a winery was simpler than building a house, requiring only a solid foundation and spacious rooms. He aimed to complete the winery as quickly as possible, regardless of the cost.

Zhen Wu was busy finding craftsmen, and Xu Qinyu’s break time had arrived, so she went to the county office to see Magistrate Yang. She always entered through the back courtyard, and the gatekeeper there already recognized her. He smiled at her, “Young Lady Xu, are you here to see our young lady or the magistrate?”

Xu Qinyu quickly replied, “I’m here to see the magistrate about some matters.”

The gatekeeper went inside to announce her arrival, and Magistrate Yang immediately asked him to invite her in.

Since the dysentery outbreak, Magistrate Yang hadn’t met Xu Qinyu privately, but he no longer saw her as an ordinary young lady. Although the idea to combat the dysentery outbreak was officially credited to him, he hadn’t received any rewards from the capital. He had taken twenty taels of silver from the public funds to reward Xu Qinyu, which he had saved up with great effort. He had also rewarded the doctors who helped treat the dysentery. However, Xu Qinyu had declined the reward, asking him to keep it for those in greater need.

When Magistrate Yang saw Xu Qinyu, he smiled and asked, “Young Lady Xu, what brings you here today?”

Xu Qinyu directly stated her purpose.

Upon hearing it, Magistrate Yang thought it was a great idea. It would help the villagers prosper without requiring them to use all their land. Just a small portion would suffice, and if they were unwilling, they could plant grapes in their yards. The only cost would be purchasing the grape seedlings.

Xu Qinyu smiled and said, “It’s just like planting jujube or pear trees. They don’t require much care, just occasional fertilizing and watering.”

People in the area liked to plant jujube and pear trees in their yards. Xu Qinyu’s family had a jujube tree and had kept the jujubes from last autumn for their own consumption.

After thinking for a moment, Magistrate Yang said, “Alright, I’ll post notices tomorrow, encouraging everyone to try planting grapes. We’ll mention that someone is willing to buy them for twenty wen per jin.”

In other places, grapes were priced around twenty wen per jin, more expensive than refined grains like white flour and polished rice, which were about ten wen per jin.

Xu Qinyu added, “We should also inform everyone that as more people start planting grapes, the price will drop, and we can only buy them for ten wen per jin. So, the first couple of years will be the most profitable for those willing to plant.”

Otherwise, if the entire southwest started planting grapes, it wouldn’t be possible to buy them for twenty wen per jin. A price drop would be normal, but even then, the minimum price would be ten wen per jin. Grapes had a high yield, and half an acre of grapes could be more valuable than ten acres of grain.

Magistrate Yang nodded and planned to include all this information in the notice.

Xu Qinyu then discussed with Magistrate Yang how to plant the grapes, explaining the need for seedling cultivation and transplantation. She mentioned that adding some fertilizer during seedling cultivation would improve the seedlings. She also explained how to water them and the need for trellises to support the vines. If the grapevines grew too quickly and produced too many fruits, they would need pruning and how to do it.

Xu Qinyu knew how to grow grapes because of her experience with ingredients. She had read books on planting various fruits and vegetables and raising poultry.

However, this was just theoretical knowledge, but modern planting and poultry-raising techniques are certainly more advanced than those of ancient times.

Additionally, Xu Qinyu told Magistrate Yang about her wine-making business with Madam Lu. The winery was chosen to be in Dagu Village, and for the next year or two, they would continue using wild grapes to make wine. Once green grapes could be grown, they would also make green grape wine.

Last year, Xu Qinyu sent about ten bottles of wine to the Yang, Xu, and Xia families, so Magistrate Yang had tasted the wine and found it very good.

After Xu Qinyu left, Magistrate Yang wrote a notice and had the yamen runners post it in Yuanbao Town and its surrounding villages.

Many villagers were illiterate, but when they saw a notice being posted, they would gather around and ask the yamen runners to read it out loud.

Sometimes, taxes and labor duties were announced through notices, so the villagers knew that notices were important.

When the yamen runners read out the notice, the villagers began to discuss, “Grapes are expensive, but they take two years to bear fruit, right? What about the first year?”

“They said you don’t have to use all your land to plant grapes. Just use a small portion. If some people want to earn more and are brave enough, they can plant more. If you’re not brave enough to use even a small portion of land, you can buy and plant a few seedlings in your yard. If they grow, they’ll still be bought.”

“Why is the magistrate asking us to plant grapes? Will someone really buy them? Why would anyone want so many grapes? Are they trying to trick us? Can they eat that many grapes?”

The yamen runner replied, “They’re using the grapes to make wine, which they sell for money. A bottle of wine can sell for a tael of silver. They want you to plant grapes so you can earn money together.”

This yamen runner was from Yuanbao Town and knew about Young Lady Xu’s help during the dysentery outbreak. He trusted her, so when she said she would buy grapes, he believed it and planned to ask his mother to set aside some land to try planting grapes.

Someone immediately asked, “Who will buy the grapes? Will they really be bought? Even if they make wine, they won’t need that many grapes. If every household plants a few, there will be a lot of grapes. Can they sell all the wine they make?”

They had seen the small wineries in town, where the wine sold slowly. If everyone planted grapes, wouldn’t there be a lot of wine? Is wine really that easy to sell, especially at such a high price?

The yamen runner said, “Young Lady Xu from Xu’s Food Mansion will buy the grapes. She’s partnering with a trade caravan from Raozhou City to make wine. They’re building a winery in Dagu Village. They can use wild grapes from the mountains, but they want to make green grape wine because it tastes different. The wine they make won’t just be sold in the southwest; the trade caravan will transport it to other wealthy cities. The caravan has also bought seedlings, which they’ll sell to us at cost. The seedlings will arrive in a few days.”

“Building a winery? I know about that. The winery is being built in Dagu Village. They’ve hired many people to build it. My husband is working there, earning fifty wen a day.”

“Is the pay that high? Are they still hiring? I’ll ask my husband to go.”

“What are you thinking? They’re hiring craftsmen to build houses. Your husband doesn’t know how to build houses. Do you think the trade caravan is foolish?”

“What’s so difficult about it? It’s just adding bricks and tiles. It’s simple.”

“Simple, my foot.” The two women started arguing.

Others were still focused on the grapes. Someone said, “Young Lady Xu? I’ve heard of her. She helped cook for the disaster victims during the dysentery outbreak and opened a restaurant with delicious food. She’s a good person. Is she really partnering to open a winery?”

“I think I’ve heard of her too. Is it really reliable to plant grapes?”

“Forget it. I’ll buy a few seeds and plant them in the yard.”

“You can’t just scatter them. Didn’t the yamen runner say you need to cultivate seedlings first? They’re selling seedlings directly, so you can plant them right away.”

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Xu Qinyu didn’t know that her name was spreading in the nearby villages.

She knew that most villagers would be reluctant to use even a small portion of their land. As she expected, most people planned to buy one or two grape seedlings to try planting in their yards. They would only consider large-scale planting after seeing that it was profitable.

Xu Qinyu wasn’t in a hurry. This was a gradual process. It would be great if the green grape wine business could be developed in the future. If not, she wouldn’t force it. Her main focus was still on her restaurant. However, she did mention to her usual collaborators, such as Uncle He and Butcher Tian, that they could plant some grapes at home. She would buy the grapes when they bore fruit, and they could also tell their relatives and friends about it.

Uncle He was very grateful to Xu Qinyu. His family now relied on fishing in the lake and river, catching fish, shrimp, snails, and crabs, which they supplied to Xu’s Food Mansion. They also helped deliver milk, earning several taels of silver each month. During good months, they could earn up to ten taels. They had even bought a small boat, and their family’s life was much better than before when they struggled to have enough food and clothing.

Uncle He’s family was not only grateful to Xu Qinyu but also considered her their benefactor.

After hearing Uncle He’s words, his family decided to use half of their land to plant grapes. They no longer needed to grow crops to buy food, so they could afford to use the land for grapes.

Xu Qinyu said that this was the best time to plant grape seedlings, so Uncle He bought many when the trade caravan returned.

Grape seedlings were expensive a few years ago, but the price had dropped recently. However, they were still more expensive than other fruits and vegetables. One acre of land required grape seedlings costing about seven or eight taels of silver.

Uncle He had five acres of land and planted grapes on two acres, spending a total of fifteen taels of silver.

Uncle He also informed his other relatives, but they were reluctant to use their farmland. They only bought a few seedlings to plant in their yards, as each seedling cost about a hundred wen. Most people only bought one or two seedlings, as they were still skeptical.

Even Butcher Tian wanted to plant grapes on one or two acres of land, but the land was expensive, and grape seedlings were not cheap. He couldn’t afford to buy more land, so he only bought a few seedlings to plant in his yard.